Motorcycle Thefts on the Rise!

2018 saw a slight rise in vehicle theft cases, from 53,180 to 53,564. While the numbers may be alarming, the silver lining here is that passenger and light commercial vehicle theft cases have remined relatively unchanged, from 42,774 cases in 2018 to 42,683 in 2018.

However, there has been a significant increase in the number of motorcycle thefts. In 2017, the total number of motorcycle theft cases were 8149, which has risen to 8746 in 2018. Of all the bikes that were stolen, 3991 bikes were recovered, but 4755, or 54%, have not. This means that more than half of all stolen bikes are never reunited with their owners.

What was stolen? The NMVTRC categorises stolen bikes into manufacturers. The top 5 most stolen bikes in 2018 were:

1. Honda – 1786 thefts

2. Yamaha – 1529 thefts

3. Kawasaki – 781 thefts

4. Suzuki – 751 thefts

5. KTM – 619 thefts

Where were they stolen? The following are the top 5 motorcycle theft hot spots in 2018 according to the NMVTRC, grouped by local government areas.

1. Brisbane (QLD) – 435 thefts

2. Melbourne (VIC) – 246 thefts

3. Gold Coast (QLD) – 244 thefts

4. Logan (QLD) – 159 thefts

5. Swan (WA) – 154 thefts

How to Protect Your Bike

There are simple steps you can take to theft-proofing your bike. Parking and storage are the main areas to focus on. When you’re out riding, find a designated motorcycle parking area, or somewhere plain view and well lit. People and light are thief deterrents. Make sure your keys are secure and with you at all times.

When storing your bike, find a place on your property: in a garage, driveway or shed. If you have neither or those, park is at close to home as possible, within viewing distance, and cover it. Store your keys (not just your motorcycle keys) somewhere secure and out of sight. This means not in a bowl or key hook, because burglars will often target keys, especially car and motorcycle keys.

(Photo by ABUS Security Tech Germany, via flickr)

Anti-theft devices such as wheel clamps and break locks are cumbersome and have to be removed and reattached every time you go riding. However, the sight of large metal clamps around your bike’s wheel is an effective thief deterrent.

If you’re familiar with your bike’s electronics, a more elaborate solution would be to install a kill switch on your bike, that when flipped will prevent your bike from being started. So, even if a thief got a hold of your keys, if they don’t know the location of the switch, they won’t be able to drive off with it.

However, in the event that your bike is stolen, all the anti-theft devices mentioned above won’t help you recovering it. This is where the GPS tracking device has the advantage. Covert and non-intrusive, a tracking device gives you access to round-the-clock remote surveillance of your motorcycle. Simply wire the tracker to your bike’s permanent power source and track away. Should a thief successfully manage to steal your motorcycle, you can rest easy knowing that it’s trackable, thus greatly improving your chances getting it recovered.

Don’t allow your bike to be one of the thousands that never gets recovered. Protect it with a GPS tracker today for peace of mind. Contact Black Knight today to order your GPS tracker for your motorcycle.

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